US 5,634,011 A · Distributed management communications network

Abstract

A multinode, multicast communications network has a distributed control for the creation, administration and operational mode selection operative in each of the nodes of the network. Each node is provided with a Set Manager for controlling either creation of, administration or access to a set of users to whom a multicast is to be directed. The Set Manager maintains a record of the local membership of all users associated with the node in which the Set Manager resides. A given Set Manager for each designated set of users is assigned the task of being the Set Leader to maintain membership information about the entire set of users in the multicast group. One of the Set Managers in the communications network is designated to be the Registrar which maintains a list of all the Set Leaders in the network. The Registrar insures that there is one and only one Set Leader for each set of users, answers inquiries about the membership of the sets and directs inquiries to appropriate Set Leaders if necessary. All of the set creation, administration and control functions can therefore be carried out by any node of the system and provision is made to assume the function at a new node when failure or partition in the network occurs.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A communications network management system including a plurality of interconnected nodes, comprising:

communications control means for providing distributed administration of multicast communications network user sets utilizing a plurality of selectable controls including communication network user Set Manager control means, Set Leader control means and network Registrar control means;
management mode control means at each node of said network, communicating with each communications network user at said node and responsive to the dynamic communications requirements of said users for selecting the mode of operation of said communication control means to exercise said network user Set Manager control means, said Set Leader control means and said network Registrar control means so that said network has active at any time only one said network Registrar control means in said communications network, only one Set Manager control means per node in said network and only one said Set Leader control means per set of users,
means, including said Set Manager control means, for routing multicasting messages in the node in which that Set Manager Control means resides,
means, including said Set Leader control means, for modifying the membership in said set of users corresponding to said Set Leader means;
and
means, including said Registrar control means, for insuring that there is only one of said Set Leader control means for each said set of users.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Distributed management communications network

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Distributed management communications network

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Abstract

Claims6